Justify (horse) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Justify |
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Justify and his connections after the 2018 Preakness Stakes
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| Sire | Scat Daddy |
| Grandsire | Johannesburg |
| Dam | Stage Magic |
| Damsire | Ghostzapper |
| Sex | Stallion |
| Foaled | March 28, 2015 Versailles, Kentucky, U.S. |
| Country | United States |
| Color | Chestnut |
| Breeder | John D. Gunther |
| Owner | WinStar Farm (majority owner), China Horse Club, Head of Plains Partners, Starlight Racing, Carcone Racing Stable |
| Trainer | Bob Baffert |
| Record | 6: 6–0–0 |
| Earnings | $3,198,000 |
| Awards | |
| Triple Crown wins: Kentucky Derby (2018) Preakness Stakes (2018) Belmont Stakes (2018) 13th American Triple Crown winner (2018) American Champion Three-Year-Old Male Horse (2018) American Horse of the Year (2018) |
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| Honors | |
| National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame (2024) |
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Justify (born March 28, 2015) is a famous Thoroughbred racehorse. He is known for being the thirteenth winner of the American Triple Crown. This means he won the Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes, and Belmont Stakes all in the same year.
Justify also made history as the first horse since Apollo in 1882 to win the Kentucky Derby without racing when he was two years old. He won his very first race on February 18, 2018. Justify was retired from racing undefeated, meaning he never lost a single race in his career. This makes him the only American Triple Crown winner to achieve this!
Justify comes from a family of champions. His ancestors include famous Triple Crown winners like Secretariat, Count Fleet, War Admiral, Omaha, and Gallant Fox. He is also related to English Triple Crown winner Nijinsky.
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About Justify
Justify is a chestnut stallion, which means he has a reddish-brown coat. He has a large white mark on his forehead called a blaze. He was born in Kentucky, U.S., and was bred by John D. Gunther. John and his daughter Tanya run Glennwood Farm.
Even though their farm is small, they bred many amazing horses in 2015. These included Without Parole, a top winner at Royal Ascot, and Vino Rosso, who raced against Justify in the Kentucky Derby and Belmont Stakes. Because of these successes, John Gunther won the 2018 Eclipse Award for Outstanding Breeder. Justify's mother, Stage Magic, was also named the 2018 Kentucky Broodmare of the Year.
Justify's father was Scat Daddy. Scat Daddy was a successful racehorse and later became a popular sire (father of racehorses). Sadly, Scat Daddy passed away early in 2015.
How Justify Was Chosen
Justify was sold at a big horse sale in 2016 for $500,000. He was bought by a group of owners including WinStar Farm, China Horse Club, and SF Racing. David Hanley from WinStar said Justify stood out at the sale. He described Justify as a "beautiful yearling" with great balance and power. Even though he was a big horse, he moved very lightly.
Justify grew into a very large horse, standing about 16.3 hands tall. He was first sent to trainer Rodolphe Brisset. After a small injury, he was given time to grow stronger. In January 2018, he joined the barn of famous trainer Bob Baffert at Santa Anita.
Justify's Racing Journey
Getting Ready for the Derby
Justify started his racing career a bit later than most horses. His first race was on February 18, 2018, at Santa Anita Park. It was a race for three-year-olds. He was the favorite to win, and he did! He won by a huge margin of 9 and a half lengths. This impressive win showed everyone how talented he was. Trainer Bob Baffert knew Justify was special and had a plan for him to qualify for the Kentucky Derby.
Justify raced again on March 11 at Santa Anita. He was an even bigger favorite this time and won easily by 6 and a half lengths. His jockey, Mike Smith, was very impressed. He said Justify moved like a powerful, big horse.
Even though Justify hadn't raced in big stakes races yet, he was already seen as a top contender for the Kentucky Derby. To qualify, he needed to earn points in special races. Baffert decided to run Justify in the Santa Anita Derby.
On April 7, Justify entered the Santa Anita Derby. His main rival was another strong horse named Bolt d'Oro. Justify took the lead early and kept a steady pace. As they came around the final turn, Bolt d'Oro tried to catch him. But Justify pulled away again, winning by three lengths. This win secured his spot in the Kentucky Derby.
Winning the Kentucky Derby
The 2018 Kentucky Derby was held on May 5 at Churchill Downs. It was a very rainy day, and the track was sloppy. Justify had to overcome a challenge known as the "Curse of Apollo." No horse had won the Kentucky Derby without racing as a two-year-old since Apollo in 1882.
Justify started well and quickly got a good position near the rail. He ran close to the front, setting a fast pace. As they entered the final turn, other horses tried to challenge him. But Justify responded, pulling ahead to win by 2 and a half lengths! Good Magic finished second, and Audible was third.
After the race, Justify had a minor heel bruise from the wet track. His team took good care of him, and he was soon back to training.
Preakness Stakes Victory
The weather for the 2018 Preakness Stakes on May 19 was even worse than the Derby. It had rained for days, and the track was very sloppy. A thick fog also covered the track, making it hard to see the horses.
Justify once again started well and took the early lead. Good Magic challenged him closely, and they raced side-by-side for a while. As they turned for home, other horses like Tenfold and Bravazo started to close in fast. But Justify dug deep and held on to win by half a length over Bravazo. Tenfold was just behind in third.
Trainer Bob Baffert was very proud of Justify. He said the horse had been pushed hard but still won, even jumping over puddles during the race. This win set him up for the final Triple Crown race.
Belmont Stakes and Triple Crown
Bob Baffert had trained the previous Triple Crown winner, American Pharoah, in 2015. He used a similar training plan for Justify. Baffert noted that Justify was a strong and dominant horse, always ready to go.
The 2018 Belmont Stakes was held on June 9 on a dry track with a huge crowd of 90,000 people. Justify started from post position one, which meant he needed a good start to avoid getting stuck. He broke well and Mike Smith sent him straight to the lead. Justify set a steady pace, leading by two lengths.
Around the final turn, other horses tried to catch him. Vino Rosso moved into second, and then Gronkowski and Hofburg started closing. But Justify kept going strong, winning by 1 and three-quarter lengths over Gronkowski. He finished the mile and a half race in 2 minutes and 28.18 seconds.
Bob Baffert was overjoyed after the race. He said it was "just amazing" and that Justify was an incredible horse. This win made Justify the thirteenth winner of the American Triple Crown. He was also only the second horse to win the Triple Crown while still undefeated!
Injury and Retirement
After winning the Triple Crown, Justify was shown off to crowds at Churchill Downs and Santa Anita. Trainer Baffert kept him in light training to help him recover. The goal was for Justify to race in the Breeders Cup Classic later that year.
However, in early July, Baffert noticed a slight swelling in Justify's left front ankle. After a detailed check, Justify was officially retired from racing on July 25, 2018. This ended his amazing career and his chance to win the "Grand Slam" of racing.
Justify's Race Record
| Date | Age | Distance | Race | Grade | Track | Odds | Field | Finish | Winning time | Winning (losing) margin |
Jockey | Ref |
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| Feb 18, 2018 | 3 | 7 furlongs | Maiden Special Weight | Maiden | Santa Anita | 0.50* | 5 | 1 | 1:21.86 | 9+1⁄2 lengths | Drayden Van Dyke | |
| Mar 11, 2018 | 3 | 1 mile | Allowance Optional Claiming | Allowance | Santa Anita | 0.05* | 5 | 1 | 1:35.73 | 6+1⁄2 lengths | Mike E. Smith | |
| Apr 7, 2018 | 3 | 1+1⁄8 miles | Santa Anita Derby | Grade I | Santa Anita | 0.90* | 7 | 1 | 1:49.72 | 3 lengths | Mike E. Smith | |
| May 5, 2018 | 3 | 1+1⁄4 miles | Kentucky Derby | Grade I | Churchill Downs | 2.90* | 20 | 1 | 2:04.20 | 2+1⁄2 lengths | Mike E. Smith | |
| May 19, 2018 | 3 | 1+3⁄16 miles | Preakness Stakes | Grade I | Pimlico | 0.40* | 8 | 1 | 1:55.93 | 1⁄2 length | Mike E. Smith | |
| June 9, 2018 | 3 | 1+1⁄2 miles | Belmont Stakes | Grade I | Belmont Park | 0.80* | 10 | 1 | 2:28.18 | 1+3⁄4 length | Mike E. Smith |
* indicates that Justify was the post-time favorite.
Awards and Recognition
In 2019, Justify was named the 2018 American Horse of the Year. This is a very high honor for a racehorse. He was also chosen as the best three-year-old male horse of 2018.
Justify's amazing win in the Belmont Stakes was named the NTRA Moment of the Year. This award celebrates special moments in horse racing that show great skill and emotion.
In 2024, Justify was elected into the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame. This is a huge achievement, as it means he is recognized as one of the greatest racehorses of all time. His official induction will happen on August 2, 2024, in Saratoga Springs, New York.
Justify as a Sire
After his racing career, Justify became a sire, meaning he now fathers new racehorses. He stands at Ashford Stud in Kentucky. His first foal (baby horse), a colt named Harlocap, was born in April 2020.
Justify's babies have started to race and have been very successful! Because of their wins in 2023, Justify's stud fee (the cost to breed a mare with him) was doubled for 2024.
Justify's Famous Offspring
Here are some of Justify's notable children who have won major races:
| Foaled | Name | Sex | Major Wins |
| 2020 | Arabian Lion | c | Woody Stephens Stakes |
| 2020 | Aspen Grove | f | Belmont Oaks |
| 2021 | Opera Singer | f | Prix Marcel Boussac, Nassau Stakes |
| 2021 | Just F Y I | f | Frizette Stakes, Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies |
| 2021 | City of Troy | c | Dewhurst Stakes, Epsom Derby, Coral-Eclipse Stakes, International Stakes |
| 2021 | Hard To Justify | f | Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf |
| 2021 | Ramatuelle | f | Prix de la Forêt |
